Falling university rankings suggest a wider malaise |
Falling university rankings suggest a wider malaise
June 1, 2026 — 5:46pm
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The slip in world rankings suffered by many Australian universities on one of the latest international rankings lists is a salient reminder of the real-life consequences of allowing pressure from rising costs and populist insularity to devalue academic knowledge and expertise.
The burden has been made heavier by Canberra’s continuing aversion to adequately funding universities, but respect for critical thought also sags under the weight of antivaxxers, internet opinions, climate change scepticism and populist politics.
As the value of knowledge for its own sake is increasingly devalued or belittled by growing sections of Australian society, it is hardly surprising that the Centre for World University Rankings has........